STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Republican Paul Saryian has thrown his hat into the ring for the North Shore state Assembly seat, hitting at incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Matthew Titone for failing to do enough to combat Port Authority toll hikes.

But Titone responded that Saryian needs to get his facts correct.

Saryian, who has rejoined the GOP after a time as a registered member of the Independence Party, said that the toll hikes will destroy the Staten Island trucking industry and “create hyper-inflation” here.

He blames Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the P.A. and Democratic lawmakers for the increased tolls. Lawmakers, he said, have been a “rubber stamp” for Cuomo on the issue.

Saryian, a former NYPD captain, said that Titone, a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, “has shrugged his shoulders over it.”

A West Brighton resident, Saryian said that the increased tolls would drive up the price of goods and services for Island consumers.

“And it’s the people who live on fixed incomes who will be hit the worst,” said Saryian, who ran in the 2009 special election for the North Shore City Council seat.

Saryian said that the toll hikes are “the single most destructive thing on Staten Island right now.” He has called for a 100 percent rollback of the increases already instituted by the P.A.

Titone said that Saryian was “grossly misinformed” on the toll issue.

He pointed out that he and the other members of the borough Albany delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, are pushing bi-state legislation with New Jersey lawmakers to bring greater accountability and transparency to the P.A.

If the legislation passes both states and is signed by Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, planned P.A. toll hikes in the future would be halted.

The lawmakers held a press conference on the legislation last week near the Outerbridge Crossing.

Titone said Saryian “is trying to paint this as a partisan issue when it is not.”

He also pointed out that toll hikes go through the Assembly Corporations and Authorities Committee, which Titone does not sit on.

“Mr. Saryian needs to bone up before he goes public,” said Titone. “I’d be more than happy to educate him in how things really work.”

‘FRONT-RUNNER’

Borough GOP chairman Robert Scamardella called Saryian “a front-runner” for the Republican nomination in the race.

“Paul Saryian is a fine candidate,” Scamardella said. “He’s a man with a lot of life experience who knows the North Shore well.”

That being said, Scamardella said that until the GOP executive committee makes a recommendation in the race, “I don’t have a candidate.”

The GOP is expected to nominate candidates for the fall races at a county convention in April.

Saryian served with the NYPD for 24 years, including as a captain in Brooklyn South.

Before joining the Independence Party, he was a Republican for 25 years.

He returned to the GOP last fall, inspired, he said, by Scamardella’s takeover of the party.

“I saw leadership in Bob Scamardella that I did not see in the prior administration,” Saryian said.